The Jig Is Up
by Avinaya La Salle
Summary: After the Weredad incident, Marinette admits she let things get out of hand and that her declaration had been misunderstood. Unfortunately, something in the way she explains leads Cat Noir to suspect the girl might know more than she should about him... Spoilers for Weredad episode and minor changes to the end of the episode.
1. Chapter 1

**She Knows**

_She knows_. Icy realization coursed through his veins, freezing him to his core. _She knows!_ His head dropped into his open hands, and his eyes squeezed shut as the scene from earlier replayed itself in his mind.

_Mr Dupain was still not happy with him, even after the akuma had been dispelled and purified. The giant of a man towered over Cat Noir, shaking his fist, and chastised the black-clad half of Paris' very own superheroes with all the authority of a father protecting his darling daughter._

_"Dad, stop," Marinette intoned softly, placing a hand on her father's burly arm to placate him. Gently, she turned him to face her, her tiny hand seeming to hold an enormous amount of sway on the man. "Cat Noir has every right to be in love with Ladybug." She crossed her hands over her heart, and the smile on her lips surprised the hero. She seemed... almost happy about the fact that he was in love with his partner. As Cat Noir stared in confusion and amazement, Marinette closed the distance between them. "She's very lucky to have you." Her voice rang with a sincerity that he would have sworn held a deeper meaning to the words. Before he could process it, she continued, "And just because you and I aren't in love with each other, doesn't mean that we can't still be friends." Her brow furrowed, and her bright blue eyes shimmered with something he couldn't place. A silent hope, maybe, that things wouldn't change between them?_

_"Really? Oh, phew!" He wiped some of the perspiration from his brow. "I really didn't want to hurt you, Marinette." He placed his hands on her shoulders and recalled all he knew about the girl from both his identities. "You seem like such an awesome person." He passed up a purrfect opportunity for a cat pun, opting instead to keep his compliment genuine. He truly meant what he said. She _was_ awesome, but she wouldn't know he already knew that. His body moved of its own volition, whether from relief that she was safe or that she would still be his friend, he wasn't sure. Wait... still? She and Cat Noir weren't really friends. She was friends with Adrien... He shooed the thought aside and pulled back with a smile. "Even if you're not a huge fan of mine, like I originally thought when I saw you on the roof."_

_Her reaction was instant, her eyes rounded, and her mouth dropped open. "What? You just thought I was a fan of yours?"_

_"Well, yeah!" He tried not to chuckle at her incredulous expression. "That's what I was about to say when you jumped on me." He tapped a clawed finger to his cheek, reenacting his thought process from the previous night. "'Could it be that she's a fan of mine?'"_

_Marinette blanched._

_"You see, Tom?" Sabine chimed in, her voice ringing with amusement. "I think this may have been some big misunderstanding." The small woman turned to face her daughter. "Marinette, were you just trying to say that you admired him? As a fan?"_

_Marinette's nervous chuckle rang through the room. "Uh, yeah! You're right. Dad just seemed so excited about the whole thing." She scratched the back of her neck with one hand, her dark pigtails bobbing with the motion. "I wasn't sure how to clear things up without letting him down." She clasped her hands in front of her and hung her head, keeping her eyes carefully trained on her thumbs. "I'm sorry."_

_Tom's eyes grew big, and his intimidating figure suddenly looked soft and warm. He wrapped his arms around Marinette and pulled her close, hunching his frame over to settle his head atop hers. "My dear, I'm the one who should be sorry. I shouldn't have gotten so carried away." He pulled back, and his green eyes sparkled with mirth. "Besides, I should have known better. After all, you've always been so taken with that Adrien fellow."_

_At the mention of his other self, Cat Noir's entire body stiffened. His green cat eyes went wide, his pupils nearly disappearing to tiny slivers. Tom's arms swept out toward the walls of Marinette's desk area. Walls covered in photos of Adrien Agreste. Of course, he already knew about the photos from the live TV broadcast a while back and even first hand from the encounter with Troublemaker that same day. It was Marinette's reaction that seemed to speak of something more._

_The girl stood ramrod straight, her hands clenched at her sides, a bright pink blush creeping up her neck. She glanced at Cat Noir and gave him a nervous grin. Her hesitant chuckle echoed her expression. "Papaaa!" She said through gritted teeth, her nervous gaze still on Cat Noir. "I told you already! I'm just a fan of the fashion line! He's just a friend!" It was like she was talking directly to him. Almost as though..._

_Tom let out a hearty laugh and clapped his daughter's stiff frame on the back. "A fan, huh? Kind of like you're a fan of Cat Noir here?" His mustache twitched as one corner of his lips turned up in a mischievous grin. "Somehow, I don't see any Cat Noir pictures, though."_

_Cat Noir's eyes widened further, taking in the wall of photos. The man was right. There wasn't a single picture of his hero persona anywhere in the room._

_The mumbled response from Marinette sent a wave of panic through him. "Because it's, um, a secret...?" Her eyes locked on his, and the look within seemed to be trying to tell him something._

_Secret? A secret?! But... how? How had she worked it out?! She knew! She knew Adrien was Cat Noir! The costumed boy felt lightheaded and took a step back, his gloved hand holding the wall behind him to keep himself steady._

_A melodic giggle sounded from his right. "Oh, Tom. Don't tease the poor girl. She's been through enough." Sabine turned to Cat Noir, finally shaking him from his stupor. "Thank you for your help today, Cat Noir. I'm terribly sorry that we put you through all this." She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, her mother's warmth radiating from the contact._

_Cat Noir's heart swelled, despite himself, and he forced a smile. "Not a problem at all, Mrs Dupain-Cheng." His eyes darted back to Marinette and continued carefully, "Anything for a fan."_

_The anxious expression on Marinette's face was all the confirmation he needed._

Adrien groaned and lifted his head, letting his hands slide down his face. _She knows!_ The thought made his stomach churn in apprehension. Even his lady didn't know who he was! A fact that didn't sit quite right with him but that she was adamant about. Their identities were to remain a secret. From everyone. And he'd blown it. What if Hawkmoth found out? Marinette would become his target! Of all the people he knew, kind, brave, sweet Marinette! As if it weren't bad enough that the villain had his sights on _his_ lady.

Another anguished sound made its way past his lips. He leaned back against the couch he was seated on and stared up at the ceiling. "She knows, Plagg!" Adrien finally addressed his companion.

The tiny black cat-like kwami was rummaging around in one of the cupboards, and without even looking, Adrien knew it was the one that housed numerous different types of stinky Camembert cheese. "Who knows what, now?" Plagg responded, not even pausing in his endeavors.

"She knows I'm Cat Noir!" A note of panic rose in Adrien's voice.

"What?!" Plagg dropped the cheese he'd been contemplating and flew directly into Adrien's face. "Who? Who knows?"

Adrien lowered his eyes from his kwami and replied in a voice barely above a whisper, "Marinette."

Plagg's green cat eyes blinked at the boy for a long moment. Wincing slightly, Adrien braced himself for the imminent scolding he knew was next. To his surprise, Plagg's paws flew to his mouth with a quiet "pfft". The raucous laughter that followed had Adrien thoroughly confused.

"Marinette? The baker's daughter?" The little creature laughed so hard, he spun upside down in the air. "It's about time!"

"Plagg!" Adrien snapped. "This isn't funny!" He stood up and began pacing the room, his hands tangled in his hair. "She's best friends with Alya! Alya, who runs the Ladyblog? What if she tells her? What if they expose my identity to all of Paris? Ladybug's going to kill me! Then she'll really never fall for me!"

Plagg's laughter finally subsided, and the creature wiped what Adrien assumed were tears from his eyes. "Kid, trust me on this, I don't think Ladybug is going to be too broken up about this. Call it a hunch, but I have a feeling this Marinette girl is pretty trustworthy. Besides, you're always going on about how awesome she is." Plagg zipped back to the cheese cupboard and resumed his rummaging. "Maybe this could be a good thing!" the kwami called back.

"A good thing?" Adrien sputtered. He sat back down, a mix of emotions warring for dominance of his face. "A good thing?!" Anger won out, and he jumped from the couch. He lunged for the cheese cupboard and wrenched it open. Plagg sat inside, casually munching on a slice of Camembert. "How could this ever be a good thing?!"

"Just think, someone to help make excuses for you when you have to run off for an akuma attack. Not to mention I wouldn't have to be the only one who has to put up with your endless mooning over your precious Ladybug." Plagg grinned and popped the rest of the cheese in his mouth.

Adrien stared at the black creature. "How are you so calm about this?" he asked incredulously. "I thought you were the one who insisted this all remained secret!"

The kwami shrugged his tiny shoulders. "Eh, it just doesn't seem like that big a deal to me. Now, if you'd said Nathalie or that Chloé girl, I might be a bit more concerned, but it's not. It's that, what did you call her? Everyday Ladybug?" Plagg's mouth curled into a mischievous grin. "Quite the appropriate nickname, if you ask me."

"Since when did you ever think so highly of Marinette?" Adrien frowned skeptically.

"Hmph, not me, kid. You're the one that's always going on about her." Plagg zipped out of the cupboard again, hovering up by Adrien's face. "But I suppose you could say she doesn't _bug_ me too much."

* * *

Despite Plagg's evident dismissal of his secret's discovery, Adrien's anxiety refused to abate. Various different scenarios swirled through his mind, and it wasn't until the wee hours of the morning that sleep finally claimed him.

His alarm blared far too early for his liking, but he dragged himself out of bed regardless. If he didn't, Nathalie would, and that was always less than pleasant. As he prepared himself for the day, his thoughts swirled again. When had she found out? How? He resolved to watch the pigtailed girl more closely. Once he determined she wouldn't say anything, he would tell Ladybug.

Adrien cringed, his toothbrush halfway to his mouth. Ladybug. How was he going to tell her? She already thought he didn't take his responsibilities seriously enough. This only served to prove her point.

Shaking his head clear, Adrien finished getting ready for the day. He snagged a couple wedges of cheese for Plagg and just finished tucking the kwami away in his pocket when he heard a sharp rap on the door.

"Adrien. Are you awake?"

The boy opened the door to find Nathalie, tablet in hand, and flashed her a cheery smile. "Good morning, Nathalie."

"Good morning," she returned evenly. Her eyes lingered on his face a moment longer than normal, but no comment about his evident lack of sleep was made. She brushed a stray strand of black hair from her face and adjusted her glasses. "Breakfast is served."

"Thanks, Nathalie." Adrien smiled again. Though the woman was ever professional and carried herself with a cool demeanor, she always treated him fairly, and he was appreciative of that fact.

Breakfast was the normal, lonesome affair as every morning. Clearly, his previous day's revelation, though earth shattering to him, held no sway on the rest of the world. Adrien ate as swiftly as he could and headed to school a little earlier than was probably necessary.

"Hey, dude," Nino greeted him as he got out of the town car. The boy adjusted his glasses and did a double take. "Woah, did you even sleep last night?"

"Yeah, just a restless night." Adrien sighed. At least the makeup artists at his photo shoot later would be able to cover the bags under his eyes, though he had a feeling there would be quite a few complaints about them.

"Rough, man." Nino slung an arm over Adrien's shoulder. "Hey, did you hear about Marinette this weekend?"

Adrien's eyes went wide, and he felt his whole body stiffen. "N-no, w-what about her?" he stammered.

"Her dad got akumatized. I guess there was something about Cat Noir. I don't know all the deets, but Alya's already got plans to kidnap the girl as soon as she gets here." The thought drew a quiet chuckle from Nino, but Adrien didn't find the humor in it.

"She's... not here yet?" He tried to keep the hopeful note from his tone.

Nino barked out another laugh. "Where've you been, man? Marinette's almost never here on time!"

"R-right." Adrien knew that, but exhaustion and frayed nerves were wearing on him. The girl sat behind him in class. Even though he paid more attention to his teacher than his classmates while class was in session, he'd learned Marinette's habits fairly early on. She was often late to class, and on the rare occasion she wasn't, she skirted in at the last possible moment. She was a decent student, paying attention and contributing in class wherever she could, and as class representative, she shouldered responsibility well. He had noticed that she often disappeared during class but figured she just had a weak constitution. As he considered, though, the realization that her disappearances often coincided with his own for akuma attacks did little to ease his mind. Had she been following him this whole time?

Adrien tried not to let his imagination carry him too far away, as he and Nino made their way to their classroom. Nino chattered about a few different things, a new mix he was working on, the new content being released for Ultimate Mecha Strike III, the history quiz scheduled for that morning. Adrien hummed and nodded at what he hoped were the right points in the conversation, but his mind couldn't focus.

The two boys slid into their seats as Alya burst through the door. The auburn haired girl had a scowl on her face and was murmuring something under her breath. Adrien thought he caught something about how that girl was "going to get it". She huffed quietly and settled into her own seat.

"Morning, Babe," Nino greeted his girlfriend cheerfully. "Still haven't gotten a hold of her, yet?"

The apprentice journalist frowned at him. "No! And I know she's seen my messages. She just won't answer. That girl is in serious hot water!"

"Maybe she's just recuperating from a rough weekend? I mean, if her dad was akumatized, they must have gone through quite the ordeal," Adrien offered with a weak smile.

Alya's frown deepened, and she grumbled quietly, "She could have at least told her best friend about it. I had to hear about it from a random comment on the Ladyblog."

"C'mon, Babe, I'm sure she had her reasons." Nino reached over her desk and patted her hand gently. "You can just grill her when she gets here." He glanced back at the clock on the wall and chuckled lightly. "Or at lunch at this rate."

"Yeah, I guess." Alya let out a sigh and pulled her history book from her bag. Adrien and Nino followed suit, and the three passed the remaining few minutes before class quizzing each other.

As was customary, with barely a minute to spare, Marinette rushed through the door and made a mad dash for her seat. "Safe!" The girl let out a breath, but before she could even set her bag down, Alya pounced on her.

"So, Marinette, exciting weekend, huh?" The reporter cocked a brow and stared pointedly at her friend through her black rimmed glasses.

"Oh, uh, yeah, busy weekend." Marinette let out a nervous chuckle, and Adrien's anxiety surged. He wasn't sure what she'd say, but knowing that she knew his secret made every word potentially dangerous.

"Good morning, class," Miss Bustier interrupted, cheerfully oblivious to the tension in the front two rows. Adrien couldn't hold back the sigh of relief at the unexpected reprieve as class started for the day.

* * *

As the bell marking the start of lunch sounded throughout the school, Adrien's stress reached its peak. Class had been agonizing. Adrien had barely been able to pay attention. His focus had been honed in on the girl directly behind him. Her every breath and movement set his nerves on edge. His eyes darted her way every chance he got. He even thought he caught her watching him occasionally, but each time, Marinette refused to meet his gaze, looking anywhere in the room except his way.

"Ok, girl, time to spill."

Alya's voice caught Adrien's attention, and he turned in his seat to see the reporter standing over his pigtailed classmate, her arms crossed over her chest.

Marinette let out a nervous laugh. "Alright, alright." She held up her hands defensively. Her eyes darted to Adrien, and a light flush crept up her cheeks when she noticed him watching her.

"Mind if I listen in?" Adrien asked as nonchalantly as he could.

"A-Adrien? Yes, please! I mean, no way. I mean, o-of c-course you may listen as long as you l-like!" Her lips turned up in an awkward smile.

The girl's stuttering set an alarm off within the already on edge boy. Her stuttering was normal, at least when speaking to him. Was it because she knew? In which case, had she really known so long? He'd first noticed her mixing up her words within the first week of school. Originally, he'd thought that she just wasn't comfortable around him. But what if she wasn't comfortable because she knew he was Cat Noir! The thought sent his stomach sinking. Had he really been so careless?

As the thought settled, a subtle calm washed over him. If she'd known that long and hadn't said anything, she wasn't likely to say anything now. His face heated lightly, and shame coursed through him. Of course she wouldn't say anything. Marinette was amazing. She would never reveal something so sensitive about a friend. Warmth swelled within his chest, and Adrien realized that Plagg had been right to not be worried.

He let out a quiet sigh and flashed a brilliant smile at the girl in question when he realized she was still eyeing him. "Thanks," he responded, hoping the double meaning would be heard.

Clearly appeased by his response, she let out a sigh of her own, and her gaze shifted to pure admiration. Adrien felt a flush creeping up his neck. She really was a fan. He just had never realized entirely why.

Alya's patience reached its limit, and the spectacled girl jabbed her friend with an elbow, breaking her from her stupor. "Well...?"

"Oh, right, um." Marinette worried her lower lip between her teeth. "Well, um, see, Cat Noir ended up on my balcony Saturday night after baby August's akumatized tantrum, and I just got caught up in fangirl mode and flung myself at him. I maaaaay have said I loved him, and my dad kind of saw the whole thing. You know my dad; his imagination gets away from him sometimes. So anyways, he invited him to brunch on Sunday, but Cat Noir is in love with Ladybug, so he turned me down, and my dad couldn't take it, so..." She shrugged her shoulders. "He was akumatized."

"Girl!" Alya's eyes were wide. "You told Cat Noir you _loved him_?!" Laughter rolled from the girl's mouth, as Marinette sank further into her seat.

"W-why's that so funny?" Adrien asked, trying his best not to sound too defensive.

Alya laughed harder, and Nino joined in. Adrien had forgotten Nino was even there and barely suppressed a glare at his best friend. It wasn't that funny. It had been the first time a girl had told him she loved him, and while he couldn't return the sentiment, it had still touched him. His eyes drifted to Marinette. She wasn't laughing. A pout puckered her lips, and a blush had lit upon her cheeks.

"Hey! Cat Noir is pretty amazing. You can't deny that!" Marinette defended. She looked down and started fiddling with her fingers. "Besides, I meant it more like admiring a superhero. My dad just got too excited and took it too far, and I didn't have the heart to correct him."

Alya wiped a tear from her eye and clapped her friend on the back. "Oh, Marinette!" She pursed her lips, clearly holding back another bout of laughter. "Ok, so, what happened next?"

Marinette shot a glare at her friend but continued her story anyhow. "I was trapped in a ball of thorned vines. Ladybug saved me, so I never actually got to see what happened to my dad. Next thing I knew, I was back in my room." She shrugged.

"Oh c'mon, there's got to be more to it than that!" Alya pressed.

"Um, well, Cat Noir and my parents came in, and we all kind of cleared the air. I told them the truth, and Cat Noir left." Marinette's eye flitted to Adrien's face, and he watched her glance away quickly, another blush dusting her cheeks.

From there, Alya burst into interrogation mode, asking question upon question of the girl without pause. To her credit, Marinette answered each one patiently, never once letting on that she knew more than she should about his secret identity. Adrien watched on in appreciation, thinking once again how amazing this girl was. He was so captivated, he didn't even notice Nino staring at him.

The rest of the day went by about the same as normal, though Adrien found his eyes drawn to his pigtailed classmate nearly as often as they had been that morning. Thankfully, she didn't seem to notice. Nino, on the other hand, pulled him aside at the end of the day with a sly smirk to ask him about his newfound interest.

"Dude, you've been staring at Marinette half the day! You got something to tell me?" Nino's grin widened as he slung an arm around Adrien's shoulder.

"I haven't been staring!" Had he? He shook his head and pressed on, "I just, uh, hadn't noticed how awesome she is, that's all."

"Wow, dude, you're only just realizing?" Nino asked incredulously. "Why do you think I had a crush on her before I hooked up with Alya? It wasn't just because she's cute, ya know."

Adrien brought a hand to his chin and thought a moment. Marinette was kind of cute, wasn't she? He shook his head again, clearing the thought. No, Marinette might be cute, but she had nothing on his lady love. After another moment, he shrugged and said as innocently as he could, "I just never realized she was such a huge fan of Cat Noir. I mean, most everyone sings the praises of Ladybug; not as many seem to realize Cat Noir's awesome talents, too. It just surprised me, that's all."

Nino sighed and threw his hands up in exasperation. "Whatever you say, dude."

* * *

By Wednesday, Adrien was happily convinced that Marinette wouldn't betray his secret. She didn't even let on to him that she knew. Her nervousness around him, though, was ever-present. While he wanted to let her know it was ok, that he trusted her with knowing, he also didn't want to say anything until he had a chance to tell Ladybug about the whole thing.

He had his chance later that afternoon. An akuma was terrorizing the city. Luckily, it was Mr Ramier again as Mr Pigeon, and they were able to wrap things up with practiced ease and speed.

"Pound it!" the two superheroes exclaimed in unison with their usual fist bump.

Ladybug helped the pigeon obsessed man to his feet and was about to take off, when a hand on her arm stopped her.

"Hey, uh, LB? Could we-" Cat Noir swallowed hard on the sudden lump in his throat. "I need to talk to you about something." He looked at her, pleading with his eyes. "Please. It's important."

Ladybug touched a gloved finger to her earrings and considered a moment. Four of the normal five spots remained, indicating they had four minutes left before her transformation expired. Her eyes darted to his ring, noting the four illuminated paw pads were still visible before answering slowly, "I suppose I have a few minutes to spare."

Indicating that he follow with a jerk of her head, Ladybug swung her yo-yo high and took off for a nearby rooftop. Cat Noir vaulted himself after her, his baton hitting the ground with quiet metallic thunks. He caught up with her quickly and returned his baton to its place at his back.

"So, what did you want to talk about, Kitty?" Ladybug started calmly. She must have noticed his hesitation and rested a hand soothingly on his shoulder.

"I- well- you see-" Cat Noir winced. This was harder than he'd imagined, especially with the warmth of her hand seeping through his costumed shoulder. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and blurted as fast as he could, "Someone's found out about my secret identity."

A moment of silence passed between them, and Cat Noir felt Ladybug's hand stiffen. He cracked an emerald cat eye. Ladybug's eyes were wide, her pupils reduced to tiny blue specks. Her hand dropped, and she opened her mouth. Apparently deciding against whatever she'd been about to say, she snapped her jaw shut and shook her head. Her eyes flew out across the horizon, and he could see the gears turning within. After another moment, she met his gaze again, her face twisted in worry and shock.

"How?" was all she managed.

"I don't really know," Cat Noir admitted sheepishly. She raised an eyebrow at him, and he tried his best to explain. "I only found out that she knew this weekend. I don't even know how long she's known, but I think it's been since almost the beginning! She hasn't said a word, and I haven't confronted her about it yet. I wanted to talk to you about it first."

Ladybug frowned and pondered a moment. "Do you trust her?" she asked quietly.

Cat Noir nodded slowly. "Yes. I've been keeping an eye on her all week and haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary."

"I don't like it, but-" Her earrings chirped a two minute warning, cutting her off. She shook her head again and pulled her yo-yo from her hip. "At this point, we don't really have much choice in the matter. If you trust her and she hasn't said anything after knowing so long, I'll trust your judgement on this going forward." A smile touched her lips, but Cat Noir caught a glimmer of disappointment in her eyes. "Thanks for telling me."

"Of course, Milady, and I'm sorry." His cat ears drooped atop his wild hair, and he offered her his own halfhearted smile.

Ladybug's gaze softened, and her smile grew genuine. With a flick of her wrist, she shot her yo-yo across the cityscape and disappeared among the buildings.

* * *

Adrien waited until Friday to try to confront Marinette. He wanted to at least let her know he knew _she_ knew and that he was grateful for her discretion in the matter. Unfortunately, timing was not working with him. It wasn't until late in the day, just before their last class, that he was able to catch her mostly alone.

She stood at her locker, rummaging around for something, and he thought he caught her muttering under her breath. He hid himself behind her locker door and waited patiently for her to finish. After another minute, she finally slammed the door shut and was about to leave, when her eyes caught him. A squeak of surprise slipped past her lips, and her hands flew to her mouth as though to catch it.

"Hey, Marinette!" Adrien chuckled at her expression, unable to hold it back, and his hand touched her shoulder of its own accord. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." He choked back another laugh as she sputtered inelegantly.

"Adrien! H-h-hi! Um, what you brings here? I mean, what brings you here?" An awkward smile sprang to her lips.

Adrien's eyes scanned the locker room. A few stragglers slammed their locker doors and bustled toward the exit. He could hear a few more people rustling through papers on the other side of the wall and frowned. He wouldn't be able to have as free a conversation with her as he wanted, but it wasn't fair to not at least say something.

"I just wanted to say," he started hesitantly. "I know how difficult it must be for you, but I think it's really cool how you're keeping things secret. It's very _Ladybug_ of you."

To his amusement, Marinette's eyes rounded to the size of saucers. "W-w-w-What?!"

"You know what I'm talking about." A very Cat Noir smirk curled his lips, and he couldn't resist winking at her. Barely suppressing his urge to let his Cat Noir swagger out as well, Adrien strutted out the locker room door, leaving a shocked and bewildered girl in his wake.


	2. Chapter 2

**He Knows**

_He knows._ Sinking realization reverberated within her. _He knows!_ Marinette stared after Adrien's retreating frame, her gaze lingering long after he had disappeared from view. Absently, she registered Tikki appear at her side, floating just by her face.

"What was that about?" the kwami asked in her melodic, chipper tone.

"I-I- A-Adrien just- he-" Marinette's brain refused to function, and words became too much for her. Instead, she flailed her arms as panic took over. It was the final bell that broke her from her dismay. "Class!"

Tikki slipped back into her purse hideaway, and her owner ran for her classroom, with no time to dwell on the revelation that her secret identity had been compromised.

* * *

The final class of the day on Fridays always seemed to drag, but for Marinette, it felt an eternity. She couldn't pay attention at all. Her mind was consumed by what Adrien had said in the locker room.

_"It's very _Ladybug_ of you."_

Very _Ladybug_?! What was very Ladybug of her? Except _being_ Ladybug! Sure he had called her their "everyday Ladybug" that one time, but that was on Heroes' Day! Literally a day to be an everyday hero!

_"I know how difficult it must be for you, but I think it's really cool how you're keeping things secret."_

The last phrase echoed within her ears until it completely drowned out the teacher's lesson. What secret? The only secrets she had were being Ladybug and her love of Adrien. And he wouldn't have said that if he had been talking about her crush. At least, she hoped not. Besides, being Ladybug was the most difficult to keep of the two. Sure, being in love with the boy half of Paris swooned over wasn't exactly easy, but compared to the late nights, physical exertion, and stress of, well, keeping things secret, keeping her love for him secret was a cake walk. Well, from the boy in question, at least. Her friends had found her out relatively early on, apparently.

Her eyes automatically drifted to the back of the golden boy's head as it did many times each and every day. Had he seen her on Wednesday? She had swung into a dark corner alongside the school building to transform back after her chat with Cat Noir. As she rounded the corner, a rustle sounded behind her, and a moment later, Adrien appeared, rounding the exact same corner!

Adrien's demeanor had been surprised but strangely relaxed. He patted her shoulder gently as he passed but didn't say a word. She thought she was in the clear, since he didn't say anything about it the next day either. He simply greeted her as normal. Well, as normal for that week.

_Wait!_ Marinette's mind suddenly swam with new possibilities. He had been acting strange around her since Monday. No, not strange. Adrien was perfect. He could never be strange. But he had been acting differently! Particularly around her! Had he found out that weekend somehow? Maybe Wednesday was only for confirmation!

A flash of emerald green from in front of her broke her concentration. Adrien's eyes met hers, and a grin spread over his face. Marinette's eyes flew wide, and it was all she could do to just stare back. Before her brain could even formulate a proper response to his smile (like, maybe a smile of her own?), the object of her affection had already turned away, returning to the lesson Marinette barely registered was still in session.

* * *

As soon as she was free, Marinette ran from the building as fast as she could, leaving a confused Alya behind. Foregoing her things in her locker, she fled for the supposed safety of home, only stopping begrudgingly for the crosswalk light. All she wanted to do was transform and leap as far away as possible, maybe find a nice high point where no one would ever find her and stay there forever. That or find a good deep hole to bury herself in. She knew she needed to talk to Tikki first, though, so to her room she flew as fast as her feet would carry her. Thankfully, her parents were busy in the bakery, so they missed their daughter's crazed dash.

The moment the hatch door closed and she was surrounded by the feeling of safety her pink walls afforded, she yanked her purse open. Tikki zipped from its opening and hovered near her practically hyperventilating owner.

"Tikki! He knows! He knows I'm Ladybug!" Her face drained of color, and she paced back and forth, pulling her pigtails as the horror washed over her anew.

"Calm down, Marinette!" Tikki flew up into her face. "Do you mean Adrien?" She waited patiently for the girl's frantic nod. "He just compared you to Ladybug. Besides, if he knew, it wouldn't be the end of the world." A secretive smile played across the kwami's mouth.

"He said it was awesome how I was keeping it a secret! Ladybug!" Marinette groaned and collapsed on her chaise lounge. Dramatically, she rolled over onto her back and draped an arm over her face. "He knows!" Not even waiting for a response, she bolted upright and clapped her hands over her cheeks. Horror flashed within the depths of her blue eyes. "What if Hawk Moth finds out? Adrien will be in danger! I'll have to move far away and cut off all contact with him! Then we'll never get married and have a house and three kids and a hamster named-"

"MARINETTE!" Tikki's normally tiny voice boomed. "Calm down!"

"S-sorry." Marinette winced. She took a slow breath and attempted to squelch the flood of anxiety that threatened to engulf her.

"Are you sure he even knows?" The girl simply stared at Tikki with wide eyes, so she continued, "He didn't actually call you Ladybug. He said you were keeping a secret, yes, but you don't know he's talking about this! Besides, don't you trust Adrien?"

"Of course I trust him!" Marinette furrowed her brow and frowned. Adrien was one of the most trustworthy people she knew. That was part of why she had fallen for him. She let out a small sigh and held out her hands.

Tikki landed in the offered perch and smiled sweetly up at her charge. "Then, just like you said to Cat Noir, what's done is done. We can't change things now. Besides, Adrien's a good boy. I would think you'd be happy that he knew!"

Marinette boggled at the little red creature. "How are you so calm about this?"

Tikki shrugged her tiny shoulders, and her eyes twinkled in amusement. "It's not the first time a Ladybug had her secret identity exposed. Either way, it's only Adrien. This could be a good thing!"

"A good thing?" Marinette's expression of horror gradually shifted until a lovesick, dreamy daze took its place. "You think he might notice me now? He has been acting differently around me all week."

"Notice you? I'm surprised he isn't here already knocking down your door!" Tikki's tinkling giggle filled the room.

Tiny ladybugs fluttered around Marinette's stomach at the thought. Her face burned a brilliant crimson, and she flopped back down onto the chaise with an exaggerated sigh. Tikki, anticipating her charge's over-the-top behavior, hovered as the girl's hands fell away from her, letting out another quiet giggle.

Marinette sat bolt upright again, her face contorted with dread. "Cat Noir!" She half sobbed, half groaned. "I have to tell him."

"Maybe he already knows...?" Hesitation threaded Tikki's voice, and a strange glint glimmered within her bright blue eyes.

Marinette stood and began to pace the room, completely missing anything strange in Tikki's behavior. "I have to, Tikki! It's only fair. He told me when he was found out, after all."

"Just try not to worry about it too much, Marinette." Tikki floated in front of the girl, stopping her pacing, and nuzzled her face. "You were understanding when he was found out. I'm sure he'll be just as understanding!" In an aside, she mumbled quietly, "Probably even more so!"

Marinette sighed and returned Tikki's nuzzle, cupping her hand around her kwami and holding her tight a moment. "You're right." She released her ever consistent friend, and a renewed sense of confidence washed over her. "Tikki, spots on!"

* * *

Twenty five messages and an hour later, Cat Noir arrived at one of the rooftops he and his lady frequented for meetups to find an anxious Ladybug pacing a trail into the tiles. She was so absorbed in whatever was bothering her that she didn't even notice his arrival. He extended his baton and leaned his hands and chin against it, a dreamy grin splitting his face. After a few moments of watching her, he cleared his throat quietly.

"Something_ bugging_ you, Milady?"

Ladybug jumped, and a squeak of surprise flew from her lips. She whirled on her feet to face her partner.

"Cat Noir! You're here!"

"Yeah, it seemed kind of important, so I came as fast as I could." He snapped his baton back into the clip at his back and sauntered over to her. Finally noticing the sheer panic on her face, he stepped up his pace for the last few steps and grabbed both of her arms. "Hey, you ok?"

Ladybug gave him a weak smile. Her confidence had waned over the hour she waited for him, and dwelling on what she would say to him when he finally arrived only served to throw her further into dismay. "Um, well... remember what you told me the other day? How someone found out about your secret identity?"

"Yeah." His cat ears flicked back in shame, and he winced.

"Well, uh, you see..." Ladybug screwed her eyes shut and let the words fall from her mouth. "I've been found out, too."

Cat Noir's hands slid from her arms, and Ladybug peeked up at him cautiously. His eyes doubled in size, the cat-like pupils reduced to tiny slivers, and his jaw fell slack with shock. Ladybug hunched her shoulders. She knew this wouldn't go over well.

"I'm sorry," she said softly.

Cat Noir snapped his jaw shut and attempted not to let the anger rising within him onto his face. His lady's identity exposed! His identity was one thing, but his lady's! Part of him wanted to yell at her, chastise her for being so careless. Another part was simply consumed by jealousy, that he hadn't been the first to know her real identity. Yet another part just wanted to sweep her into his arms and tell her that everything would be ok, that they'd face things together. The majority of his thoughts, however, told him how hypocritical any of that would be, so he kept his mouth shut. His desire to protect her swelled within his chest, but he tamped it down as best he could. She was strong enough to look after herself, and he trusted her to do just that. The feeling of helplessness gnawed at him regardless.

"Who? How?" he finally managed.

Ladybug bit her lower lip lightly before glancing up with an apologetic smile. An anxious sigh left her mouth, and she began pacing again at a quicker clip than before, flailing her arms as she talked. "I don't know how he found out, but I-I think he's known all week. He's been acting differently toward me since Monday, and I think he may have seen me drop my transformation on Wednesday." She stopped in her tracks and turned to her partner with wild panic in her gaze. "He said something to me earlier today, called me _Ladybug_."

Cat Noir ran a hand through his wild mane and let out an uneasy breath. Reigning in his own dread, he asked quietly, "Is he trustworthy?"

Ladybug's hands flew up to her chin, and she gave him a full-bodied nod. "Very!" She gazed off over the Parisian cityscape, as an image of her beloved Adrien filled her mind. "He's kind and loyal and brave and talented and genuine and honest and smart and-" Realizing she was gushing a little too much, Ladybug clamped her mouth shut, and her cheeks heated beneath her mask. Feeling a little guilty, she added under her breath, "And he's kind of the boy I'm in love with."

"WHAT?!" Cat Noir's bellow echoed through the streets below.

His partner scrambled and pressed a gloved hand to his mouth. "Shhhh!" She glanced over the edge, hoping none of the passersby were alerted to their conversation. Thankfully, the echo had thrown off their actual location, and while several people were glancing around curiously, none had zeroed in on the superheroes themselves.

Letting out a tiny sigh of relief, she shot a glare back at Cat Noir. "Quiet! We don't need the rest of Paris knowing, too!" She removed her hand from him and resumed her pacing. "If Hawk Moth were to find out, he would target the people who know! I don't want that, and I don't think you do either."

Marinette's smile flashed through Cat Noir's mind, and a shudder ran through him. She was right. He didn't want Marinette to go through that.

"Can you at least tell me who he is?" Cat Noir begged. If Ladybug held this boy so dearly within her heart, her opinion was most likely biased. He doubted she would reveal something so critical to her secret identity, but he had to try. "Maybe I could talk to him or-"

"No," Ladybug sternly cut him off. "I'll talk to him later." Sensing his underlying intentions, her brow furrowed, and a half-hearted smile graced her lips. "Don't worry. Just because I have feelings for him doesn't mean I don't know where my priorities lie." She stretched a hand out over the horizon. "Protecting Paris is the priority."

Her expression softened, and her lips turned up in a confident grin. Determination shone from her bright blue eyes. It was that same fire and stubbornness that had made him fall in love with her, and Cat Noir felt his insides melt. Of course he could trust his lady. She would never let him down. Even if she did constantly turn him down.

"I know. I trust you. Just-" Cat Noir's voice turned pleading. "Please be careful?"

The concern in his voice warmed her heart, and she nodded a silent promise to her friend. Even though she couldn't return his feelings for her, his care and trust were some of the most precious things to her. She wouldn't trade them for the world. In fact, the thought had occurred to her once that if she hadn't met Adrien, she might have fallen for her partner, but she _had_ met Adrien. Her heart chose him.

And now Adrien knew.

As anxiety rose into her throat once again, Ladybug tossed a hurried goodbye in Cat Noir's direction and swung away over the rooftops. The soft whir of her yo-yo as it extended and retracted soothed her troubled mind, so she continued, easily swinging along her patrol path. As she rounded the last loop of her routine, an impressive and very familiar manor suddenly registered in her view.

Adrien's house.

It was usually her last stop of the night. She was always careful never to get too close. Sure, she had a few stalkerish qualities (her chart of Adrien's schedule popped immediately to mind), but the thought of invading the privacy of his home appalled her. Instead, she opted to get just close enough to make sure nothing shady was lurking around the building.

Ladybug stopped on a nearby rooftop. She needed to talk to Adrien, and at least while she was behind the mask, her words didn't come out a huge jumbled mess. The light in his room was on. Maybe this was the perfect opportunity. She certainly wouldn't get a chance to talk to him at school and doubted she'd be able to over the weekend.

Taking a slow breath to steady her shaky nerves, Ladybug shot her yo-yo to a nearby hold and swung down toward the manor. One of the windows to Adrien's room was open, so she landed carefully, balancing herself on the sash. The boy she loved stood below, his back to her, mumbling something under his breath. A blur of movement out of the corner of her eye drew her gaze, but nothing looked amiss in the room. She shook her head and, drawing another calming breath, rapped her knuckles lightly against the glass of the adjacent window.

Adrien spun around with a start. His gaze flew to her, wide-eyed and full of shock. Ladybug flashed him a shy smile and waved her gloved hand in greeting.

"M-" Adrien cut himself off quickly. He'd been about to call her Milady! Carefully, he corrected himself, "Ladybug? W-what are you doing here?" Though the intention was a casual smile, the grin that covered his face felt forced and awkward.

"Hi, Adrien." She hadn't imagined it. He nearly called her Marinette. Confirming her suspicions did nothing for her nerves, but she pressed on anyhow. "I-I just wanted to say, I'm glad it's you."

Adrien froze. His insides danced in terror and delight. She knew?! She knew he was Cat Noir! Had she seen him drop his transformation mere seconds ago? Or maybe he did something to give himself away. Either way, she was glad it was him!

"But how?" Somehow, his frozen mind had forced the words from his lips.

"What you said earlier." She glanced away, recalling once again the things he said in the locker room. "Anyways, I just wanted to tell you that and ask that you please be careful and keep things secret?"

"Of course!" he blurted anxiously. Though he wasn't sure what he'd done, clearly his blunder had brought this about. He continued in a more subdued tone, "I'm sorry. I will definitely be more careful from now on. You know I will, right?"

"I do." The gentle smile she gave him nearly took his breath away. "I trust you." She paused a moment, taking in his handsome face and the way the fading light danced through his golden locks. With an inaudible sigh, she threw her yo-yo out across the distance. "Thank you," she murmured softly before she swung away, leaving a very distraught, green-eyed boy behind.

* * *

"Plagg!" Adrien called when he finally shook himself free of his frozen stupor. "Plagg!"

"What?" The tiny black creature flew out from his hiding spot.

"She knows, Plagg!" The boy flopped himself back onto his bed, a lovesick grin plastered on his face. "She knows, and she's glad it's me!" He sat up, hope surging behind his emerald eyes. "Do you think she'll give me a chance now?"

Plagg groaned. "How should I know." He floated near the window and gazed out a moment, the conversation he had overheard playing through his head. "You sure she knows?"

"Ladybug? You heard her! She _must_ know!" Conviction rang from Adrien's voice.

"Yeah, but you said the same thing about Marinette, and she hasn't said a word. Why would Ladybug suddenly come here and tell you she knew? Don't you think she'd keep that little tidbit quiet, too?" Plagg let out an indignant huff. "She's the one who keeps insisting you can't tell each other anything about your real identities." A point that irritated the kwami. He would never admit it, but he missed seeing his Sugarcube. If their two holders would just stop being so stubborn about the whole secret identity thing with each other, he'd be able to torment the red bug kwami to his heart's content.

"Maybe she's just trying to remind me to be more careful." Adrien let out a small sigh. "Clearly, I've been too careless."

Plagg eyed the boy skeptically then shrugged his tiny shoulders. A sly grin curled his lips. Whatever the case, this did make for an entertaining turn of events. "So, what are you going to do now, lover boy?"

"What do you mean?" Adrien puzzled at his companion.

"Exactly what I said." Plagg drifted toward his cheese cupboard. Clearly, he'd need the gooey distraction to keep him from smacking the boy upside the head. "What are you going to do now?" he asked slowly, emphasizing each word. He phased through the cupboard door and pushed it open from the inside, carrying a hefty wedge of Camembert in his paws.

"Oh." Adrien pondered a moment. What_ should_ he do next? Marinette and Ladybug both knew. He trusted Ladybug with his life, and Marinette had kept the secret for so long already. Was there really anything he needed to do? He hummed quietly as he considered, ignoring the smacking of Plagg's lips as the creature devoured the entire wedge of cheese in a single bite.

Marinette!

He had meant to speak to her a bit more, but time constraints had stopped him. He should really try to talk to her again. If he waited for school on Monday, there was no guarantee they'd even have the opportunity.

A thought occurred to him, and he hopped up from the edge of his bed.

"I know! I'll finish my talk with Marinette."

"That's great, kid. When're you going to do that?" Plagg busied himself with licking the last remaining traces of gooey cheese from his paws.

"Now."

Green cat eyes narrowed on Adrien. "Now? But you're supposed to have a Chinese lesson in 20 minutes! You'll never make it there and back in time."

"I won't, but Cat Noir will! Plagg, claws out!" Adrien threw the hand with his Miraculous ring out in a fist, excitement coursing through him.

Plagg clung to the bed's comforter as the Miraculous' magic pulled him toward the ring. "Couldn't you just call her on the pho-" The end of the last word was swallowed by a yowl of protest as the tiny black kwami disappeared within the ring, and a burst of green light enveloped Adrien.

* * *

Tikki sat on the desk, munching happily on a chocolate chip cookie, while her owner animatedly recounted the conversations with the "two boys". The kwami held back a giggle. She had to wonder what the girl would actually do when she realized the two most important boys in her life were actually one and the same.

While she loved her charge dearly, Marinette was still young and often had trouble keeping her priorities straight, especially when it came to a certain blonde model. They would find out about each other sooner or later, being so close both in and out of the mask, but Tikki hoped Marinette would have the time to mature a little first. She was particularly worried about how the girl would react to working alongside the boy as her superhero partner, seeing as she usually turned into a drooling mess whenever Adrien was involved.

"See? I told you Cat Noir would take it ok, Marinette. You had nothing to worry about!" Tikki chirped once Marinette had finished. "But are you sure Adrien really knows?"

"Why else would he say he'd be more careful and promise to keep the secret?" Marinette blinked at the kwami expectantly.

"Er, maybe he was talking about something else?" Tikki focused intently on her cookie. She couldn't exactly spell it out for her!

Marinette opened her mouth, but a soft thud overhead interrupted whatever she'd been about to say. She scrambled up the ladder to her bed, and her hand pushed the skylight above open. Popping her head out, her jaw dropped when her eyes met her black-clad partner perched on the railing of her balcony.

"Hey, Marinette." Cat Noir smiled at her, a genuine, sweet smile, not his normal cheeky grin.

"Cat?" Marinette pulled herself up onto the balcony and closed the skylight as soundlessly as possible. If her parents overheard, they might misunderstand yet again, and she really didn't want another repeat of the previous weekend. "What are you doing here?"

"I wasn't sure if I should even come here." He paused a moment, rubbing the back of his neck with a gloved hand. "But I just wanted to say, now that the secret is out-"

"S-s-secret?" Marinette cut him off and choked out a nervous laugh around the lump her heart suddenly formed in her throat. Her voice went up an octave, and she squeaked out a nearly hysterical, "What secret?" She stood ramrod straight, her arms tight against her body. Her hands formed little fists, and an overly toothy grin fixed itself on her face.

"It's ok." Cat Noir stifled a chuckle at her expression. He dropped down from the railing and ambled toward her. Placing a hand on her tense shoulder, a reassuring smile lit upon his face. "I know."

"What?!" She barely contained the screech that attempted to slip from her mouth. This couldn't be happening right now. Her identity revealed twice in one week! Was she losing her touch? She forced the words she needed to ask, "How did you figure me out?"

"Some of the things you said and how you said them. Anyways, I just wanted to say that you're more amazing than I realized, and I'm glad it's you." Echoing Ladybug's words to him, a secretive smile played upon his lips. "I should have picked up on it sooner, but I guess I just don't always pay enough attention." He shrugged and patted Marinette's shoulder. "So, yeah, thanks. Remember, it's our little secret, ok?" His hand dropped from her, and he held a clawed finger to his lips. Winking, he pulled his baton from its clip and vaulted off over the rooftops. Marinette's legs finally gave out, and she collapsed in a heap, staring after him in a daze.

* * *

The rest of Marinette's weekend crawled by at an agonizingly slow pace. She tried to keep busy between homework, chores, and errands for her parents. Thankfully, Hawk Moth seemed to be taking the weekend off, so she didn't have to face Cat Noir. She was surprised he didn't show up again, though.

Now that he knew she was Ladybug, she was sure Cat Noir would have been at her balcony any chance he got. Or maybe even at her door. The thought filled her with apprehension. After everything that happened the previous weekend, she didn't even want to think about how she'd explain that to her parents. When Marinette mentioned her fear that Cat Noir might show up proclaiming his love for her, Tikki dismissed her easily with a little giggle.

"Marinette, Cat Noir may act like a lovesick puppy-" The kwami's comparison of the feline hero to a canine elicited a giggle fit from the girl. "-but he's actually quite the gentleman. He's had plenty of opportunities to find out your identity, but he's always respected your insistence on keep things secret, right?"

Marinette chewed on her lower lip lightly, her thoughts racing. Tikki was right. Cat Noir had protested keeping their identities from each other, but he never acted upon his desire. Somehow, _she_ had given herself away. She still wasn't sure how and wracked her brain, trying to figure it out, but no answer came. She resolved to ask Cat Noir at the first practical opportunity.

By Monday morning, Marinette still wasn't any closer to determining her slip up. Exhaustion weighed on her. She had barely slept all weekend, her thoughts swimming back and forth between hysteria and horror at having been found out twice.

Miraculously, she made it to her first class on time. As she slid into her seat, Alya gawked at her.

"You ok, girl? You look awful!" her friend exclaimed, a little too loud for Marinette's sleep deprived ears.

"Gee, thanks, Alya," she groused back.

A pair of emerald eyes landed on her as Adrien turned in his seat to greet her with a little wave and that heavenly smile of his. Compared to last week, he looked completely refreshed, as though he'd slept better than he ever had that weekend. The effect he had on her was incredible. She perked up and returned his smile, hoping she didn't look as terrible as Alya said.

"How was your weekend, Marinette?" Adrien's voice drifted to her ears. Her name on his lips sounded like a beautiful melody, and it was all she could do not to dissolve in a puddle of goo. He was talking to her! Maybe it wasn't so bad that he knew, after all.

"Oh, you know. It was, yeah. You know?" She groaned inwardly as the words left her mouth. She couldn't keep stumbling over her words. He already knew she was Ladybug! Ladybug was strong, courageous, and eloquent not a simpering mess.

His chuckle shattered her internal reprimand, and she felt her insides melt. "Yeah, I know." His wink sent her over the edge.

Adrien turned back around in his seat, completely oblivious to the girl's internal squealing. Alya, on the other hand, sidled closer to Marinette, a huge grin on her face.

"Did he just _wink_ at you?" she asked in an incredulous whisper.

Marinette nodded, unable to speak. She held her hands over her heart in a vain attempt to calm its racing. There was a familiarity to that wink, but she shooed the errant thought away. Adrien had practically flirted with her! A whimsical grin spread over her lips, and she soon lost herself to her daydreams.

* * *

Halfway through class, screams sounded from the hall, snapping Marinette out of her pleasant thoughts. All the students jumped and ran to the windows, trying to see what was going on. Students from the next classroom over ran past the windows. One looked back over his shoulder and froze. Gray bloomed from his face, encompassing his entire body until a stone replica of the boy stood in his place.

A muffled voice called out from nearby, "I am Medusssa! Now, you will have no choice but to pay attention to me for eternity!" A manic cackle followed, and several other students transformed into stone statues.

Marinette's classmates backed away from the windows, and Miss Bustier shouted for everyone to hide under their desks. The door burst open, and an expression of terror etched itself permanently on her stone face. Marinette ducked under her desk. So that was it. This akuma could turn people to stone with a single glance. This wouldn't be easy.

Alya grabbed her phone immediately and began recording. She kept her eyes glued to the screen and watched an akuma enter their classroom. As all akumas, its sense of fashion was horribly garish. It looked like something out of a Greek mythology book. Instead of hair, purple snakes touched its green, scaly shoulders, and red, snake-like pupils blazed in anger from bright yellow sclerae. A wicked grin revealed two sharp fangs and a forked tongue, and a black toga wrapped its feminine form, a golden brooch holding it up over one shoulder.

As Alya recorded, several of her classmates turned to stone. The creature cackled again and left the room to find more victims.

"Woah, did you see that?!" she whispered in awe at Marinette.

Marinette stared at her eager friend. Her eyes darted to the phone in her hand, and her face lit up. Of course! "Alya! You're a crazy genius!" Before she could say anything else, a hand closed around her wrist and pulled her from her hiding place. Finding herself suddenly face to face with Adrien, pink dusted Marinette's cheeks.

"C'mon," he said seriously. His mouth drew into a tight line, and his eyes reflected a somber determination. "We have to find a safe place."

The unspoken 'to transform' passed silently between them, and Marinette realized what Tikki had meant when she said this could be a good thing. An ally who would help keep her secret, help her find a way to slip away, so Ladybug could swing in and save the day.

Her lips curled up in a confident smile, and Marinette nodded. His hand still on her wrist, Adrien lead the way out the door and down the hall. Alya's voice shouted on their heels, "Isn't it safe here?!"

Marinette and Adrien both kept their eyes carefully on their feet as they ran, and when they neared a corner, Marinette shifted her hand within his grip to wrap her fingers around Adrien's wrist. With more strength than he ever imagined she possessed, Marinette pulled him to a halt.

"Wait!" She pulled her phone from her purse and turned on the camera. Holding the lens around the corner, the screen showed an empty walkway.

"Great idea, Marinette." Appreciation rang through Adrien's voice. His split second decision to bring her with him was definitely paying off.

Marinette's heart swelled within her chest. Before she could lose her nerve to the tiny ladybugs dancing in her stomach, she pulled him around the corner and began checking classrooms with her camera. Soon, both teens rushed into an empty classroom, shutting the door tight behind them.

They exchanged a glance.

"I guess it's go time, huh?" Adrien said quietly. He'd never transformed in front of anyone, and the idea thrilled him. He couldn't wait for someone else to finally see how cool his transformation was.

Marinette nodded. Nervousness swept through her. Transforming in front of anyone was intimidating enough. Transforming in front of Adrien was an entirely different story. She took a deep breath and turned to her purse. Undoing the snap, she called, "Tikki-"

"Plagg-"

"Spots on!"

"Claws out!"

It wasn't until the words had left their lips that they registered in their ears. Bright light surrounded each of them, Marinette in pink, Adrien in green. A moment later, Ladybug suddenly appeared where Marinette had once been, and Cat Noir stood where Adrien had been.

Silence filled the room as two pairs of eyes locked on each other in equal states of shock.

* * *

**A/N:** Thank you very much for the reviews, favorites, and follows! The final part should be up soon. Please look forward to it, and thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Sorry this took longer than expected to finish. I think that reveal was a little too shocking for our poor heroes. Pretty sure I broke them. Either way, I finally convinced them to come back out for the end. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

**They Didn't Know**

They didn't know how long they had stood there staring at each other after the glow of their transformations faded. For all they knew, time stopped. Ladybug stood where Marinette had once been, her blue eyes wide and jaw ajar. Cat Noir held the ground Adrien had been on only moments before, his leather cat ears at attention and belt tail impossibly straight up behind him. Finally, one of them blinked, and their trance broke.

"You?!" they cried simultaneously, each pointing at the other.

A moment of silence followed as they looked each other up and down, as if only just seeing each other for the first time. Each of them imagined their partner without their mask. They desperately attempted to picture the mannerisms of the superhero coming from the unmasked counterpart, but the concept felt foreign to each of them, considering all they knew about the other.

A thought bubbled to the surface of both their minds at the same time, and they shouted in unison once again, "I thought you knew!"

Green and blue eyes blinked at each other. After another long pause, Cat Noir burst out into laughter. Everything from the past week clicked into place with crystalline clarity. Marinette was Ladybug. She didn't know _his_ identity. She'd been afraid he'd discovered _her_ identity!

"Well, I guess the cat's _really_ out of the bag, now!" he choked out between laughs. "And the bug, too!" After all the effort they had made to guard their identities from one another, all it had taken was a simple assumption to trigger a cascade of misunderstandings and miscommunications that led to this moment. And the entire situation was just too ridiculous. _Utterly ridiculous!_ Chloé's catchphrase popped into his mind, and Cat Noir doubled over, clutching his sides as the laughter rolled from him even harder.

Ladybug stared at him blankly. Her mind replayed an endless loop of perfect Adrien Agreste disappearing in a flash of light, leaving the flirtatious and pun-filled Cat Noir behind. She rubbed her eyes with the backs of her gloved hands and blinked owlishly at him.

"Nope," she finally said when Cat Noir's laughter subsided to small chuckles. She put her palms over her temples and shook her head from side to side. "Nope. Nope. I'm dreaming. I must be dreaming."

"So, you're saying I'm the boy of your dreams?" Cat Noir flashed her a giddy, lopsided grin.

Ladybug ignored him. "Tikki will wake me up any minute, and I'll have to rush to school. I'm probably already late." Her gaze landed on Cat Noir. Her expression brightened, and she held an index finger aloft as an idea occurred. "I know! My brain couldn't handle the fact that my identity was found out twice last week, so I dreamed they were both the same person! Thanks brain. You can wake me up, now." She shut her eyes and slapped her face briskly with both hands. "Ok, time to get up, Marinette." Slowly, she cracked one eye.

Cat Noir's grin widened. "Still here." He closed the distance between them and took her hands in his. Her eyes snapped open, and she gaped at him. "I don't mind you dreaming about me, though. As Adrien or Cat Noir."

He winked. That familiar wink Marinette had seen on Cat Noir's face on her balcony on Friday. That very same wink _Adrien_ had given her that very morning. The wink that sent her off into happy daydreams through their first class. That wink solidified what her eyes had witnessed, forcing her to finally see the two most important boys in her life in truth as one and the same person.

"It-it's not a dream?" She glanced down at her hands, still in his. Adrien's hands were within those clawed gloves. How many times had she held these hands? The thought heated her cheeks, and her fingers reflexively tightened around his.

"If it is, it's my dream and pawsitively purrfect." His lips curled up in a peculiar smile. It was a cross between Adrien's sweet, gentle smile and Cat Noir's catty grin, and it took Ladybug's breath away. She silently hoped he couldn't hear the way her heart stuttered and practically leapt from her chest to him.

"A-A-Ad-" Her attempt to call him by name was cut off by a muffled scream from someone outside the classroom door. Had they forgotten something? Oh right. "Akuma!" Ladybug jumped back, yanking her hands from his grasp. As she whirled toward the outer windows, she thought she caught a pout pucker his lips. It could have been her imagination, but the hope that it wasn't spurred her heart into a flutter.

Ladybug threw one of the windows open and pulled her yo-yo from her hip. As she raised her arm to throw it, a clawed hand on her shoulder stilled her. She turned to see a smug smirk on Cat Noir's face.

"Milady, the akuma's that way." He jerked a thumb back over his shoulder toward the classroom door.

"Silly Kitty. We need to get to the roof for a better vantage point," she quipped back naturally, turning back to the window. The remembrance of the akuma and Cat Noir's cocky expression brought her Ladybug confidence within reach, and she clung to it as best she could.

"Good thinking!"

His praise was nothing new. The recognition of his voice as Adrien's, on the other hand, sent her heart into a frantic pace. So much for her Ladybug confidence.

Not risking another backward glance, Ladybug threw her yo-yo from the window. It found a purchase on an adjacent rooftop, and she tugged. The yo-yo retracted, and she slingshotted herself out the window and back to the roof of the school. With another tug, her yo-yo returned to her palm.

The soft clunk of Cat Noir's metal baton sounded from the street below. She ignored it and pressed herself low to the rooftop. She knew he'd follow. He was her partner, her other half in their heroic ventures. And her crush. She swallowed hard and pressed the black dot at the center of her yo-yo. It slid open, revealing the phone within. Ladybug held her bug phone in front of her and angled the camera over the edge.

* * *

Cat Noir landed with a quiet thud and padded silently toward his partner. He flattened himself to the roof beside her. From her phone's screen, he watched the akumatized victim stroll into the courtyard, a malicious grin accentuated by two sharp fangs and the snake "hair" hissing from where they hung above her shoulders.

"The akuma must be in her brooch." Ladybug zoomed the image in on a round golden brooch fastened to the black toga at the villain's shoulder. "But how will we get to it," she pondered aloud as she zoomed the picture back out and continued to scan the statue littered courtyard.

Cat Noir's eyes shifted from the screen to take in the lovely young woman beside him. His partner. His friend. The girl who held his entire heart in her hands, gloved or not. The realization struck him through the heart, and a lovesick expression softened his features. He loved her. Both as Ladybug and Marinette. He already knew he'd love her without the mask, but it never really occurred to him how much he wanted it to be her until that moment.

It was just a shame she didn't feel the same way.

His next thought hit him with enough force, he struggled not to roll back from the mental impact. She thought he knew. Adrien. She thought _Adrien_ knew. And she had said the person who knew...

"So, Milady, question." His voice sounded hoarse to his own ears.

"Hm?" She didn't even look back at him, completely absorbed by the image of the akuma in her bug phone.

"So, you said the person who knew was the boy you were in love with." To his satisfaction, Ladybug froze, so he persisted. "Does that mean what I think it means?"

Ladybug groaned quietly. "Cat, are we really talking about this _now_?"

"I knew it!" A wide grin split his face, and he leaned close enough to whisper into her ear. "I knew you wouldn't be able to resist me without my mask."

He watched in fascination as her neck and face turned the same color as her suit. His heart swelled at the confirmation, and he choked back a gleeful chuckle as her mouth opened and closed several times. She kept her eyes on her screen and furrowed her brow, clearly trying to compose herself.

"So, you've been turning me down... for me?" His train of thought sped off as everything started to make more and more sense. Her stuttering, the little awkward grins, the ever-present blush that dusted her cheeks whenever Adrien saw her. It was because she liked him. _Loved_ him! _He_ had that effect on this amazing, talented, and confident girl! His grin spread from ear to ear. A moment later, it disappeared completely. "Wait, what about Luka?"

Ladybug tore her gaze from her phone to meet his, her blush now contained to just along the bottom edge of her mask. "What about Luka?"

"I thought, you know, you and him..." he trailed off, not really sure if he wanted to know anymore. His heart tightened in apprehension.

"What? No!" She waved her hands in front of her in emphasis. "He's just a friend!"

The tight grip within his chest released, and he let out the breath he'd apparently been holding.

"What about Kagami?" Ladybug's voice was hesitant, and she gazed up at him from under her lashes, her brow knit with worry.

"What about Kaga-" As the words left his mouth, a memory flashed before his eyes. Sitting on a bench in the courtyard below as Adrien, talking to Marinette about how he'd begun to notice Kagami. Asking Marinette,_ his lady love_, to go with him on a double date with another girl. So he could get over her because she kept rejecting him for... well, him. Oh boy. "-mi," he finished the word dumbly.

The masked boy jumped back onto his knees and waved his hands frantically. "I can explain! She's a friend! I was trying to get over you, and- mmf."

Ladybug's hand clamped over his mouth with a hissed, "Shhh!" She had to bolt up onto her knees to reach him. Sitting back on her heels, she carefully checked the akuma's position again in her bug phone. Cat Noir's leather ears flattened to his head, and he tried to hunker down closer to the roof.

After a moment, Ladybug let out a small sigh. "She didn't notice us. We need to get down to the first floor and-" She turned her head to him and saw her hand still over his mouth. "Sorry!" Her hand pulled away from him fast, as though his skin had burned her.

His hand caught hers from the air, and he held it close as he met her wide eyed gaze. "No, I'm sorry. Kagami is a friend. Nothing more." His voice held a pleading tone. She had to know she was the only one for him.

"L-later, Cat." Her eyes darted back to the screen of her phone then back to him. "The a-akuma..."

"Right." He dropped her hand and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "So, uh, first floor?"

* * *

Finding an open window on the first floor, the superhero duo slipped through it and into the locker room. Ladybug rushed toward the door and propped it open a crack. She positioned her phone's camera into the opening until she caught sight of the villain on the screen. Medusssa was preoccupied by something on the far end of the courtyard. Stone statues surrounded her, and Ladybug hesitated. She didn't want to know what would happen to the people if one of the statues were to be damaged. Her Miraculous Ladybug should fix things, but she wasn't sure she wanted to take the risk.

"Just did a sweep. There's no one in here." Cat Noir's voice came from directly behind her, and it took all she had not to jump at his nearness.

"G-good." She cleared her throat quietly and eyed the room. "We need to lure her in here. It will be too hard to fight her around all those statues. Plus there's better cover in here. It should be easier to avoid her gaze." She gestured to the way the room was divided by walls of lockers. If worse came to worst, they could even throw a locker door or two open.

"Yeah, as statuesque as I am, we already have a statue together, and I don't see any need for another one." He placed a gloved hand on her shoulder and eyed the screen of her phone critically. "So, any ideas?"

The warmth from his hand seeped through her costume, and her heart stuttered. All the little touches and the timbre of his voice should have been second nature to her by now, but there was a problem. _They knew!_ And that tiny detail amplified every word and action in her mind. It was _Adrien_ touching her shoulder. Her! Not Ladybug! Marinette! And he was still flirting with her even though it was just her under the mask. He didn't even seem upset when he found out she was in love with him. In fact, he seemed happy about it! But she did have a very active imagination, so maybe it was just that. She hoped not.

_Focus, Marinette!_ she chided herself mentally. They needed to deal with the akuma and fast. Hopefully before Marinette hit complete meltdown. She reached for her Ladybug confidence and clung to it like a lifeline.

"Hm, maybe, with a little luck." She licked her lips, hoping her pause had seemed thoughtful and not too over long, and threw her yo-yo above her head. "Lucky Charm!"

A roll of something red with black spots materialized where her yo-yo had been and dropped into her open hands. Ladybug plucked an end of the material and pulled it off the roll. "Duct tape?"

"I thought we were trying to get out of a sticky situation, not into another one," Cat Noir remarked as he tapped his cheek with one clawed finger.

Ladybug bit back a giggle. Why were all his comments so much funnier now that she knew it was Adrien beneath the mask? Her eyes scanned the room, and she let her Ladybug senses flood her vision. Her lips curled into a knowing grin as the use of her lucky charm revealed itself to her.

"Silly Kitty, everything can be fixed with a little duct tape. Even akumas!" She barely resisted the urge to flick the bell at his throat, opting instead to put her plan into motion. "Can you grab that?" She pointed to something in a rack on the other side of the room and ran over to one of the open lockers, not even waiting for his response. A small rectangular mirror hung on the inside of the door, and she snatched it up quickly. Not wasting any time, she rushed back to the wall beside the door and began fiddling with the duct tape.

Cat Noir appeared by her side and held the object she requested out to her. An umbrella. Of course. It was closed and pointed at the ground, but the motion still reminded her of that other fateful day she had needed an umbrella. The very day she fell in love with Adrien. With him.

Hesitantly, Ladybug reached for the handle, but as she brushed Cat Noir's hand, her fingers flinched and curled back toward her hand. She glanced up at him with wide eyes, and his gaze met hers. His lips parted in surprise, and she wondered if he was remembering the same moment that had been so life changing for her. She nearly lost herself, gazing into his emerald cat eyes, but the weight of her lucky charm in her other hand kept her grounded. She tried again and wrapped her fingers around the umbrella as Cat Noir let go. It was the very same motion from that day, and she silently hoped he had felt the same connection in that moment.

"R-right." Ladybug juggled the mirror and duct tape in the crook of her arm as she struggled to open the umbrella. Her nerves didn't make the motion easy, but after a moment, the umbrella popped open with a snap. As she fumbled with the rest of her creation, she chanced another glance at her partner. "Can you distract her?"

"Distraction's my middle name, didn't you know?" He flashed her a toothy grin and leaned one shoulder against the wall beside her.

Her eyes rolled of their own volition. Without the mask, he might be Adrien, but with the mask, he was still her same catty partner. The realization calmed her inner turmoil, at least for the moment. "And here I thought it was destruction."

"Hey, destruction is a form of distraction," he countered.

Ladybug turned and pointed at the wall she'd been leaning against. "Aim your distraction right here, on the other side, if you'd be so kind."

He swept down into an exaggerated bow, immediately picking up on what she wanted as he always did. "One destructive distraction, coming right up, Milady." Cat Noir grinned up at her and, in one fluid motion, straightened from his bow and turned on his heel. His baton appeared in his hand, and it slid open to reveal his cat phone.

"Wait." Ladybug grabbed his arm, imploring him with her eyes. "Please, be careful. If you look at her-"

"Don't worry, Milady." He gingerly removed her hand from his arm and held it gently in his own. His lips brushed lightly over her knuckles. When his emerald eyes met hers again, their depths sparkled with adoration. "You know I only have eyes for you." He winked, and with that, he was gone.

A blush crept up Ladybug's neck and engulfed her face in heat. She had always thought Cat Noir was just a big flirt, but Adrien wasn't like that at all. Could it be possible that he only flirted like that with her? She shook the thought away and fixed her concentration on the items in her hand. That was a thought for another time, preferably a time when Tikki was available to help her keep her sanity.

She fixed the mirror to the inside of the umbrella with a few strips of the duct tape. Angling her bug phone carefully, she secured it to the end of the handle. She held it up to test it, keeping the mirror in front of her and watching the reflection of her phone screen within. A satisfied smile lit her face. Perfect. Now to wait for Cat Noir to do his stuff. And hopefully, she wouldn't overthink too much until then.

* * *

With his eyes trained on the phone in his baton, Cat Noir padded cautiously into the courtyard. Medusssa faced away from him, about to step into a classroom on the far side. He positioned himself in front of the wall Ladybug pointed out to him and turned to face it.

Angling his phone's camera over his shoulder, he called out, "Hey there, Scaly. I'd say nice to see you, but gray's not really my color."

He watched the creature whirl around on the screen. She didn't look happy to see him either. A grin flew to his lips.

"You think you're so funny, don't you?" Her lips curled back, and she bared her fangs at him. The snakes hanging from her head snapped the air in his direction.

He placed his free hand on his hip and cocked his head to one side. "I think you mean _hiss_terical."

Any other time, her responding hiss would have sent him into a fit of laughter, but she shifted immediately with the sound, charging directly for him. He crouched and waited until she was a few steps behind him.

"Cataclysm!" At the command, dark energy swirled around his ring hand. He slapped his palm to the wall and rolled to the side as decay spread from where his hand had been.

The wall turned black, and as it began to crack, something from the other side pushed it outward. The top of the umbrella broke through easily, crumbling the blackened wall in an instant. His spotted lady held the umbrella up, the canopy in front of her, covering her face.

With his screen still in front of his own face, Cat Noir crouched and watched in rapt captivation as the girl he knew as his shy, awkward classmate charged at the akuma victim. Sure, he had seen Ladybug do the same plenty of times, but somehow, knowing it was Marinette behind that mask made the display even more awe-inspiring. This amazing girl, who challenged Hawk Moth so bravely when they first faced him, swung from building to building like it was nothing, and defended the people of Paris alongside him from the super villains created by Hawk Moth with all their crazy powers, was the very same girl who soothed troubled classmates, created amazing designs that even his father noticed, and somehow managed to close his umbrella down over her head back when they first became friends, warming his heart and drawing a much needed laugh from him. If he weren't already in love with her, he was sure he would have fallen again right then and there.

He tried to focus on the fight unfolding before him and, for a moment, wondered how she would be able to see anything around the umbrella, until the familiar spotted yo-yo caught his eye from where it was fastened to the end of the handle. He remembered the mirror, and a grin played along his lips. A different take on the mirrored shield from the original Medusa myth, but it clearly proved effective.

Ladybug's gloved hand reached around the edge of the umbrella and groped at Medusssa's brooch. Her fingers closed over it on the first try, and she yanked. As the brooch came free, the villain fell onto her backside, crying out in anguish at the object's loss. Without a moment's hesitation, Ladybug slammed the golden disc to the ground and stomped hard. A crack split the face, and a small, dark butterfly pulled itself free from the broken edges.

"Miraculous Ladybug!" With the umbrella still serving as her shield, Ladybug hefted the roll of duct tape in her free hand and threw it overhead. The spotted item disappeared in an explosion of magical ladybugs, and the little insects swept across the school, returning everything to its rightful order. All around them, gray stone bloomed with vibrant colors, and students took the place of the statues, many jolting as their halted movements caught up to them. Dark purple magic engulfed Medusssa and quickly dissipated, leaving behind a fragile-looking girl with mousy brown hair and thick glasses atop her freckled nose. Cat Noir recognized her as a student from the next class over.

The miraculous ladybugs swirled around Ladybug's umbrella contraption, and the creation vanished, her yo-yo appearing in her open palm. A smile lit her face, and she slid her fingertip along the surface, opening the compartment within. With practiced ease, her yo-yo snatched up the akuma. Opening the compartment again, she bid a quiet farewell to the snow white butterfly that fluttered lazily away.

Cat Noir stood and flipped his baton back into the clip at the small of his back with a little more flair than was entirely necessary. Giddiness bubbled up within him again as he held his fist out toward his lady. She grinned at him and put her fist to his, a faint blush spilling out from under the edge of her mask.

"Pound it!" they cried out in unison.

"Ugh, where- what happened?" The girl on the ground looked around, bewildered.

Cat Noir padded toward her. A small brass medallion lay on the ground in front of her. He scooped it up and turned it over in one clawed hand. There was a hook attached to one side, a flattened loop on the opposite side, and etched into the face, an image of Medusa stared back at him.

"I think this is yours," he said gently, holding it out to her.

"Oh!" The girl jumped up and clutched the medallion to her chest. "Thank you."

"Cool sword belt buckle." He recognized the design from one of his history books. "Military?"

The girl's eyes lit up. "Yes! My great great grandfather's from the first World War!" Confusion twisted her face as everything began to catch up with her. "I was giving a presentation in class about it, and no one was listening. I got so upset, then... I don't remember anything after that."

"Don't worry about it. Everything's ok now." His ring beeped, and he heard an echoing beep from his partner's Miraculous. "Gotta split!"

As he turned back toward Ladybug, he caught a nervous gleam in her gaze. It was one he'd seen several times before - on Marinette. It reminded him of a deer staring into a pair of headlights, trying to decide between staying and accepting its fate and fleeing for all it was worth, and he knew Marinette's typical response. Every single time that gleam sparked her eyes, the girl took off, leaving him to wonder what he'd done wrong to frighten her away so quickly.

_Not this time_, he decided.

Closing the distance between them in a single step, Cat Noir caught her hand in his. "Please, we need to talk."

Ladybug's eyes darted away from his face and scanned the courtyard, devoid of statues and now full of sentient people. She licked her lips hesitantly, and her eyes flicked up to his. "I only have two minutes before I change back."

Cat Noir blinked at her. "So?" They already knew. Did it really matter?

Ladybug's eyes widened, and she threw another glance at the growing crowd around them. She raised her eyebrows and jerked her head imperceptibly toward the onlookers, and Cat Noir's masked brow shot up, her silent message ringing loud and clear within his mind. Right. They might know, but no one else could know that they knew.

"I mean, it will just take a minute," he recovered, less than smoothly.

Indecision wavered on her face, and before she could refuse him and run away, he pulled her close. His arm wrapped around her waist, and her close proximity set his cheeks aflame. A thrill ran through him, seeing an echoing blush dust his lady's cheeks, and he spun his baton in his fingers before extending it at the ground. In his over enthusiasm, he vaulted the two of them clear over the roof.

* * *

A few moments later, Cat Noir and Ladybug's feet touched down on the cool linoleum in the empty classroom they'd started in. Reluctantly, he released his arm from her waist, and she pulled away to give him some space. His hand grabbed hers before she could get too far, and she turned to face him.

"Claws in." Cat Noir held her gaze as the light of his transformation washed over him, and Adrien appeared before her. His eyes shimmered in admiration, giving Ladybug the courage to drop her transformation as well.

"Spots off." As the soft pink light enveloped her, the magic suit disappeared, and Marinette became acutely aware of how warm the skin of his bare hand felt within hers. Her entire face heated, until she was certain she had attained a new shade of red.

A cackle erupted from behind Adrien, and Marinette tore her eyes from the boy to see the little black cat kwami floating upside down in the air, holding his sides with tiny paws. As Adrien took a halfhearted swipe at the creature with his free hand, a light tinkling giggle joined the sound. Marinette glanced up to see Tikki with her paws over her mouth, looking quite amused.

"I told you!" Plagg gasped out. "I told you she didn't know!" He devolved into another bout of laughter.

"That was quite the misunderstanding!" Tikki chimed in, though she had thankfully gotten the giggles out of her system.

The teens both blushed, the embarrassment finally catching up to them. Not surprisingly, Adrien was the first to recover.

"At least it was just with each other." A bright smile plastered itself on his face, and his eyes found Marinette's. "I was already happy when I thought Marinette and Ladybug knew. After all, they are the most important ladies in my life. And seeing as they are _both_ my lady, it turns out I have much better luck than I thought. Must be my Marinette lucky charm." Without missing a beat, Adrien pulled the charm from his pocket and held it up for the shocked girl to see. The corners of his mouth quirked up, transforming his bright smile into something more befitting Cat Noir, and he winked.

Before Marinette could form a coherent thought in response, Plagg made a quiet retching sound. "Ugh, I need cheese if you're going to be this mushy." The being zipped closer to Marinette and eyed her cautiously. "Please tell me your not as sappy as _this_ one." He jerked his paw back to indicate the now blushing Adrien.

"Plagg!" the boy groaned in exasperation.

"Oh, she's just as romantic!" Tikki answered excitedly for her. "You should see how many hearts and pictures she has all over her room of your boy." A giggle bubbled up from the ancient red being.

"Tikki!" Marinette hissed quietly, her eyes wide in horror.

The bug kwami smiled sweetly at her holder before flitting to the purse at the girl's side. She popped the snap and disappeared within. Her head popped back up a moment later.

"Plagg!" Tikki called to her counterpart. "Let's catch up. I'll even share one of my cookies!"

"Yuck, none of that sweet stuff for me, Sugarcube." Plagg zipped into Adrien's shirt and darted out just as quickly, diving into Marinette's purse with a small wedge of cheese in tow.

"Ugh, Plagg! Don't bring that in here! It's going to stink up my space! At least eat it first!" Tikki's squeaks of protest fell on deaf ears. She huffed a defeated sigh, shooting a quick, encouraging (if strained) smile to Marinette and ducked back into the bag.

Adrien let out a little chuckle, and Marinette's nervous giggle joined in. She still half expected to wake up in her bed and find the entire thing to be a dream. If this were just a dream, though, she wanted to at least try to convey her feelings before she woke. Her fingers tightened around Adrien's, desperately trying to muster her courage through the contact.

"Me, too!" she blurted. The color drained from her face, and she held her free hand up between them in a defensive gesture. "I mean, you and Cat Noir." Adrien's brow knit together as he attempted to interpret her words. Marinette took a deep breath and lowered her free hand to her side in a tight fist. The words came out in a rush on her exhale. "I'm lucky, too, that my partner is also the boy I love!"

Another quiet chuckle met her ears, and the boy's hand squeezed hers lightly. "So, you wouldn't give Cat Noir a chance because you were already in love with me?" Amusement laced his words.

The girl nodded woodenly.

"And the things you said on the rooftop the other day...?" Adrien held his breath, waiting for her response.

Marinette nodded again, a blush creeping up her neck. She opened her mouth and forced the words that stuck in her throat out. "It wasn't till later that I realized everything I said could be applied to my Kitty, too."

"_Your_ Kitty?" The grin flew to Adrien's face immediately, and the boy took a deliberate step closer to her.

The girl's eyes grew wide. "D-did I say _my_ kitty? I meant-"

"Your Kitty," he confirmed, snatching up her free hand and lacing his fingers between hers.

The gesture melted Marinette on the spot. Her heart fluttered, and her fingers mimicked his, lacing through his other hand as well. She took a small step toward him, unconsciously closing the gap between them.

"Silly Kitty," she murmured, unable to keep the admiration from her tone. A gentle smile stretched over her lips, and her blue eyes danced in wonder as they met his own affectionate emerald gaze.

Adrien's face dipped toward hers, and his smile faltered. Hesitation fluttered across his features. "With your permission, Milady?"

Marinette blinked in confusion. His eyes darted to her lips and back, and her smile grew shy. She nodded once and drew herself up onto her tiptoes as he met her halfway. His lips pressed against hers gently, and Marinette felt her knees go weak.

A faint squeal sounded from nearby, and the two froze, still lip locked. They jumped apart like a pair of startled birds and turned their heads toward the classroom's door. A face peered through the window just beside the door with an expression of shock and delight framed by its owner's auburn tresses. Nino's face popped into view beside Alya's, a grin washing over him as he took in the two startled teens.

Adrien and Marinette exchanged a glance and blushed at one another. His hand found hers, and they walked toward the door to let their friends into the room. Once the door opened, Alya's squeal continued as her eyes zeroed in on their joined hands.

"Dude, about time!" Nino beamed at them, winking at a red-faced Adrien.

"Ok, spill, you two! How did this happen?!" Alya demanded the moment she recovered.

"Uh, well." Adrien rubbed the back of his neck lightly and peered nervously over at Marinette.

"Oh, um," the girl started, the gears moving quickly as she struggled to come up with a believable story for their new relationship without revealing their secret. Glancing from Alya to Nino, an idea planted itself in her mind. "Ladybug found us in the hall and locked us in here together." She let out a little giggle, and the boy beside her snorted quietly.

Nino accepted the explanation immediately, bobbing his head in understanding. "Just like she did for me and Alya when Animan was on the loose."

"Doesn't the door lock from the inside?" Alya frowned, her hazel eyes narrowing on her dark haired best friend. Marinette squirmed under her scrutiny.

"It does!" Adrien said, thinking quickly. "She sent us in here and told us to lock it behind us, said to wait here until the akuma was taken care of."

Alya turned her suspicious gaze on Adrien. After a long moment, the corners of her lips twitched, and a wide smile stretched over her face. "Aaand? C'mon, I need the deets!"

Marinette let out a quiet breath and glanced over at Adrien. His eyes met hers, mirth dancing within their green depths. The girl's eyes widened at him, and she squeezed his fingers lightly, wary of what he was about to say.

"After Ladybug left, you could say I had a bit of a miraculous revelation and realized Marinette is actually the lady of my dreams."

Marinette barely suppressed her groan and shot her partner a warning look. He grinned back, unapologetically, and her heart stuttered. She was in trouble, and now that he knew, she doubted he would ever let up.

"Oh! You know who else had a moment today?" Alya didn't even pause to let them guess and continued to ramble excitedly, earning a quiet chuckle from her boyfriend. "Ladybug and Cat Noir! He grabbed her and whisked her away. I bet he took her somewhere to confess his love for her." She sighed wistfully.

"Something like that," Adrien muttered quietly for his lady's benefit.

Marinette smiled back, a light blush dusting her cheeks, and squeezed her kitty's hand.

* * *

**A/N:** Thank you again for all the reviews, favorites, and follows! I can't tell you how much they mean to me! Thanks for reading!

**Outtake:**

(Included at my proofreader's request because this is how it would _really_ happen.)

As the light of their transformation fades, Cat Noir and Ladybug stare at each other in confusion.

"Hi, Ladybug!" Cat Noir greets cheerfully. "Say, have you seen a friend of mine? Marinette. I thought she was here just a second ago."

"Oh, hi there, Kitty." Ladybug smiles nervously. "Uh, I think I saw her run away a minute ago. Have you seen Adrien anywhere? He was just here."

"Nope! He must have taken off, too. Weird, right?"

The two heroes share an awkward laugh and proceed to face the akuma, none the wiser.


End file.
